Judge Wants Long-Term Plan to Care for Cemeteries

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(Memphis) Shelby County Environmental Court Judge Larry Potter asked for all parties involved with the clean-up of Mt. Carmel and Hollywood Cemeteries in South Memphis to come back with a long-term plan by the end of January.

“It's still messy but oh my goodness, it looks like a palace compared to what it had looked,” said Alice Waller.

Waller’s grandmother is buried in Hollywood cemetery.

She is now leading efforts to get both cemeteries clean up after the owner abandoned them and weeds, trees and trashed piled up on top of grave sites.

“My grandmother made sure when we went to kindergarten we knew how to read, how to write,” said Waller, who wants to restore order to the cemeteries.

Over the past month, Shelby County inmates have worked with heavy equipment to clean up the land.

Now you can actually see the head stones in each cemetery.

Meantime, Waller is hoping the long-term plan will include a way to pay two men who have volunteered to maintain the cemeteries for now.

Several other groups have also volunteered to rake the cemeteries in the coming weekends.